1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the technical field of a vehicle control apparatus that executes control when a vehicle has become undrivable.
2. Description of Related Art
One such apparatus is known that executes safety control when a vehicle has become undrivable due to a collision or the like. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-046870 (JP 2014-046870 A) describes technology that, in a hybrid vehicle, increases the rotational resistance of an engine and quickly reduces the rotation speed of a motor when a collision of the vehicle is detected. Also, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-002627 (JP 2015-002627 A) describes technology that predicts a collision of a vehicle and stops a motor in advance.
If a vehicle overturns (rolls over) when a driver is performing a driving operation, operation (rotation) of the motor should stop as a result of the driving operation being interrupted. However, in a vehicle in which automated driving is possible, the motor may be operating (rotating) irrespective of any operation by the driver. Therefore, if the vehicle ends up overturning during automated driving, power for driving the motor may continue to be supplied even after the vehicle has overturned, and the wheels may continue to spin.
If the wheels continue to spin even after the vehicle has overturned, they may be a hindrance when a person escapes from the vehicle cabin or when a rescuer approaches the vehicle, for example. Also, even if the wheels do not spin, if high voltage for driving the motor continues to be applied after the vehicle has overturned, electrical shock may ensue or there may be discharge sparks depending on the state of the vehicle.